Number of failing schools rises

Thousands more children are being denied a decent education as the number of failing schools soared by nearly a quarter in just seven months.

Inspectors said there had been a 5% rise in the number of England's schools facing closure in Ofsted's lowest category - "special measures" - between January and March.

This came on top of a dramatic rise in the autumn of last year and means that since the end of August 2006, the number of failing schools has risen by 23%, to 256.

Ministers stressed they had halved the number of schools in special measures since Labour came to power in 1997. But opposition MPs said the figures were not good enough.

Shadow education secretary David Willetts said: "This is yet more evidence of the pressing need to focus on raising standards in our state schools.

"It demonstrates why it is right to concentrate on creating more good schools so we can improve opportunities for all pupils, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, who are currently being failed by the system."

Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Sarah Teather said the Government was "running out of excuses" for its inability to sort out failing schools.

The Ofsted figures showed that by the end of the spring term this year, 179 primary schools were in special measures, eight more than at the end of December 2006.

And four more secondaries were in special measures, taking the total to 52, with one more special needs school also in the failing category.

Inspectors said the rise was partly because there were fewer schools in a position to be removed from the special measures category.